


Like Cats and Dogs

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, Based off twitter social media AU, Embedded Images, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2019-07-08 15:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15933497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Looking for a change from working with the spoiled pets of New York's Upper East Side, Magnus accepts a job at a tiny clinic in his best friend's hometown.  Little does he know that his old school rival also works there.When tensions reach a boiling point, they both have to decide whether to move on or bury the hatchet and try to work together despite the bad blood between them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally a social media AU on Twitter [found here](https://twitter.com/astudyinfic/status/1034802657997729793).

“Bitsy needs to have her nails painted to match the collar I got her for her birthday party tonight.  I’d like her fur crimped so she looks uniform and perfect. Her guests will be arriving at seven so you need to have her ready and you need to be gone by then.  Oh, and the bird seems to be losing feathers, so maybe look at that on your way out." After divvying out her orders, the woman turned on her heels and left Magnus in the room with what he once would have thought was the world's most spoiled cocker spaniel.  Now, he knew better. As far as Upper East Side dogs went, Bitsy was decidedly average.

He was actually there to attend to the bird, called by the husband to take care of the fact that it was leaving feathers everywhere.  While Magnus wasn’t sure if they were concerned for the bird’s health or were just annoyed by the molting, he would check it just to make sure it was fine. But before he even got to the cage, he'd been accosted by the wife who steered him to another room which he, unfortunately, knew belonged to the dog.  It was bigger than his entire apartment. Not that he was bitter or anything.

"You do realize I'm a veterinarian and not a groomer?" he mumbled under his breath before getting to work.  This happened every time. Just because they had him on a retainer, they thought he should do all pet related work.  Regardless of the fact that this wasn't his job, they paid him exceptionally well for his services and he didn't want to lose this client.  As spoiled as Bitsy was, she didn't bite like most of his patients so she ranked as one of his favorites. She was a cute dog who couldn’t help the circumstances of her life.  He would never hold the owners against his patients.

Glancing at the collar the owner left behind, he shot the dog a sympathetic look.  "I'm so sorry, Bitsy. I would tell her that this green isn't your color but I think she listens to me even less than she listens to you."  He ran his hand down the dog's back, thankful that someone else had already washed and dried her. It would definitely make his job easier. "Nails first and then fur, okay, Bits?"  The dog didn’t respond but he hoped that the poor pup was okay with the plan. There wasn’t much either of them could do about it.

He wasn't about to actually paint the dog's nails.  The polish would get everywhere because Bitsy hated having anyone touch her paws (and didn’t that make Magnus anxious to get to work) and would take off running the moment he was done.  Besides that, it was simply cruel. The dog shouldn't have to deal with the chemicals in nail polish just because her owner treated the dog as an accessory instead of a pet. But, he had the claw caps that he could put on her, giving the right impression but easy enough to get off at the end of the night.

By the time Bitsy was primped and ready for her big night, Magnus only had a few minutes to check out the bird before he had to get out of the house.  They might love his services and the fact that he made house calls to do ridiculous things like pamper their dog and pick up lost feathers. He hardly looked the part of a typical vet, which he thought sometimes worked for him and sometimes worked against him.  An Asian man with makeup and jewelry didn't fit with the Upper East Side look most of his clients were going for, but he thought it was still better than a stuffy old man in a lab coat. He never expected to be a dirty little secret as a veterinarian but here he was.  

The bird, it turned out, only needed a slight change to its diet and a calm space of its own, which he would leave up to the owners to figure out.  He left the diet instructions and his recommendations for the bird’s living conditions on his way out the door. He’d check back with them in a week just to make sure it was doing alright.  He'd done enough for them for one day.

Returning home, Magnus toed off his shoes, dropped his things by the door, and fell onto the couch, eyes closing almost immediately.  Days like this made him exhausted, particularly when he had clients in several of the boroughs. His favorite days were definitely the ones where he stayed in Brooklyn and even got to go home between appointments at times.  

As he laid there, pondering whether to just drink himself silly that night or go to bed and forget everything, he felt the gentle paws of his favorite cat.  Reaching out to run his hands through Chairman Meow's fur, Magnus sighed happily, much of the tension falling from his back and shoulders. "Thank you for being a good cat, a normal cat, Chairman.  I see enough of the pampered brats all day, I don't need more than one at home also."

He cracked his eyes open to see Church sitting on the chair opposite him, glaring with a level of disdain he'd never seen in a feline before.  There was something truly unique about that particular cat, and Magnus most certainly did not mean it as a compliment. "Yes, I'm talking about you.  I don't even know why I put up with you. I should find some poor family who doesn't want a cat to cuddle or purr or do anything remotely cat-like." Church yawned, completely unaffected by the diatribe Magnus had almost every night.  He was either some sort of alien or the most cat _cat_ of all times.  Someday, Magnus might devote some time to researching that very question.

Once he had enough energy to get up, Magnus fed the two cats and got himself some dinner, leftovers that were easy enough to reheat.  Eating on the couch in comfy clothes, Magnus pulled out his phone to upload pictures of the ridiculous dog he'd seen earlier in the day.  As pampered as Bitsy was, she had nothing on the cotton ball with legs that had been Magnus's morning appointment.

When he opened a private veterinarian service in New York, Magnus knew he would attract a certain type of clientele.  But it was getting old seeing spoiled dogs and pampered cats. Every once in a while there would be an iguana or something else considered more exotic but most of the time, everything was painfully predictable.  There was nothing unique about any of them, even though every owner claimed their particular pet was extraordinary.

As had become custom, as soon as he was done eating, Magnus called his best friend to complain about his day.  He'd met Clary when he modeled for one of her introductory art classes, trying to make a little extra money while waiting for his practice to take off.  She was the only one paying more attention to his face than other parts of him and the only one who laughed when he started making faces at everyone else in the room.  They talked after class and had been best friends ever since.

"Biscuit, you will not believe the day I had," he said, the moment she picked up the phone.  "I don't even know why I bother."

"Because you know those animals would have to go to some second rate vet, or worse, not see a vet at all if their oh-so-important owners couldn't have you at their beck and call twenty-four hours a day.  Honestly, Magnus, I know this practice was your dream, but when are you going to get a break?"

It was a common argument and one he hated having.  He loved being a vet. He loved Brooklyn. He loved working the hours he wanted.  But maybe something was going to have to give because this life wasn’t sustainable long-term.  Or even short-term at this point. Magnus needed a break, even if he wouldn’t admit it to anyone but Clary.  "I don't know. I worked so hard to get my practice to where it is, it's hard to imagine doing anything else now."

"My mom's old boyfriend was the same way.  Always busy, never taking time for himself.  The weight of the veterinary world, even the veterinary world of Brooklyn, doesn’t fall on your shoulders.  It wasn't until Luke got married and they opened their own practice that I saw him finally start to relax. He still works all the time, but he's happier.  He works with people he loves, with a clientele that is actually appreciative of him. That's what you need. A job that fulfills you and makes you happy."

Clary talked about Luke all the time.  She never knew her own father and Luke had been there for her growing up.  Eventually, he and her mom separated but she was still close to him. Her mom moved here to Brooklyn (Magnus always suspected Jocelyn was a big part of why Clary chose this school above all others), while Luke remained in Clary’s hometown of Alicante.  He ended up marrying the mother of Clary's boyfriend, which made family dinners interesting, the way she told it.

Both Luke and his wife Maryse were veterinarians like Magnus, as was Maryse's oldest child.  They operated a small clinic in Alicante, a glorified farming village if Clary was to be believed.  Magnus had never been there but the pictures he'd seen were almost too idyllic to be real. Red brick buildings lining one street that ran through town, surrounded by grazing pastures and fields of wheat and alfalfa.  Norman Rockwell himself couldn’t have dreamed up such a location.

“Actually,” Clary said, in a tone that Magnus learned long ago signaled an idea she was going to thrust upon him or one of their friends.  “Luke was telling me they are looking to add one more to the clinic. Interested in rural life, Magnus?”

The town where Magnus was born was about as rural as one could get (and as far from New York as physically possible) but hadn't lived anywhere but the city since he was eight years old when his mother moved here to escape his father.  If he had trouble with the more ritzy parts of the boroughs, how would he fit into a town that was as rural as could be in New York? But he couldn’t figure out how to ask Clary if her home was full of backward thinkers who would look down on him for who he was.  

Clary, being as astute as she was - or at least knowing Magnus well enough to see where his thoughts were taking him -  already knew what he was thinking. "Alicante isn't like that. I mean, Jace's brother is gay and no one has a problem with it.  His sister would probably be slut-shamed here for the short dresses and high heels she wears but no one cares there. It is the most laid back town I've ever been to and if there was a way to do art school while living there, I would move back in a heartbeat.  It’s a place where you are accepted as you are. No one is pretentious or fake. It’s amazing."

Considering how much Clary liked New York, Magnus knew that was high praise indeed.  "So, they're looking for a new vet?" He didn't know if he could leave the city but it wouldn't hurt to find out more information, right?  If it wasn’t for him, he could turn it down and move on saying he tried.

"Yep.  Luke said he and Maryse basically work non-stop and would really like to take a vacation every once in a while.  The other vet is great but he couldn't keep up with the practice all on his own if they left for more than a day or two.  They do a lot more than just dogs and cats. You’d really get a chance to expand your horizons.”

Magnus smiled, thinking about it.  There was a certain charm to moving to such a small place, of being someplace where you knew everyone and were respected because of your profession and just who you were in general.  (He might have been making that part up but it seemed implied in what Clary was saying so Magnus figured it was okay to assume it.)

"Alright.  Text me the information and I'll send off a resume.  The worst they can say is no and I have to go back and put different colored claw tips on Bitsy for Christmas."  Shuddering at the very thought, Magnus hoped the job would turn out to be everything he wanted and someone else could do the dog’s claws next time.

"Please tell me that is a metaphor for something."

Magnus sighed and shook his head, even though Clary couldn't see it.  "I wish it was, Biscuit. I really do."

A pregnant pause hung in the air before Clary burst into laughter.  "I'm sorry, Magnus, but your job is fucking weird. It's time to find something new and I bet you'll love Alicante.  You'll see! Ask Simon. He loved it as much as I did." Magnus didn’t comment on the fact that she left Raphael out.  Both of them knew how hard it was to impress the fourth member of their group and Simon’s sour boyfriend.

In the end, Magnus couldn't help but feel buoyed by her optimism.  He'd go check out the town, the practice, and the people who worked there.  And, if everything felt good, he'd move to the middle of nowhere and start working with animals who didn't get filet mignon for dinner every night or more jewels than Magnus typically wore on both hands.

Not that he was jealous of the filet mignon.  Not at all.

Some of the jewelry, however, he absolutely thought would look better on him than a Pomeranian.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Alec Lightwood’s life was comfortable and he preferred it that way.  There was no need for a lot of excitement and change and drama. He had his mother and her husband, a good man who Alec liked and respected.  He had his sister and her wife, teachers and two of the best people he knew. He had his brother Jace and his girlfriend Clary, even if she currently lived in New York and didn’t come home to Alicante nearly as much as he would like.

Growing up in Alicante, Alec never had a desire to live anywhere else.  His dad left for Los Angeles when he was ten, not long after Jace came to live with them.  With him gone, Alec took on the “man of the house” duties, which mainly consisted of making sure his siblings didn’t cause too much trouble.  The problem with small towns was that everyone knew everything about other people’s lives. If Jace or Izzy got in trouble, even the mayor would know about it.  Despite feeling like he had to grow up far too young, Alec had no complaints about his life.

The only time he lived anywhere else was when he went to college and then veterinary school.  It was the closest he ever got to living in a city, though Ithaca probably wouldn’t count as a city to anyone who grew up in a town with more than five hundred people.  But Alec thrived in the quiet environment and was happy to go someplace calmer than Manhattan. His siblings and their partners, however, all went to NYU and loved being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the biggest city in the country.  Sometimes Alec read their emails and texts and worried that they would stay there forever.

But they didn’t and one by one, they all filtered back to Alicante so that now only Clary remained away from home.  They all hoped she would return soon but she’d made some good friends there and wasn’t ready to leave them just yet, much to both Jace and Luke’s dismay.  

Alec came back first, joining his mother’s practice the moment he set foot in town.  He’d grown up helping around the clinic so much - walking and feeding the animals that were staying there, riding with her out to the farms when she needed to make a house call - that when it came time to pick a career, there wasn’t any doubt in his mind what he would choose.  Working with animals was all he ever wanted to do, and getting to work with his mom and Luke in the town he loved was just icing on the cake.

He could have taken a job anywhere in the country.  Cornell was a well respected veterinary school nationwide and Alec graduated top of his class, barely beating out the next student.  And while that student apparently went on to open some fancy practice in Brooklyn, Alec was happy to return home to the relative comfort and safety of the place he grew up.

Being back in his hometown for work was everything Alec wanted it to be.  He already knew where everything was, had grown up around the people he worked with and for, and was comfortable with any of them.  As his siblings moved back, Alec’s contentment only grew.

Which was why when his mother called him into her office to talk one random Tuesday, he was caught off guard, to say the least.  “You want to do what?” he asked, looking between his mother and Luke like they’d lost their minds. “Why? Why would you want to do that?”

Luke didn’t answer, deferring to Maryse as he often did when it came to her kids.  “Because we need another set of hands around here, Alec. The practice is taking off and with the clinic in Brocelind closing down, we are getting even more clients.  The three of us cannot handle the office, the house calls, and have lives of our own. We need another vet, whether you think so or not.”

Not, Alec thought miserably to himself.  “I don’t need a life. I have work. I see you guys here and I make house calls to deal with Crowley and Sebastian all the time, so I see Maia and Izzy and Jace that way.  I can work double. I can cover all the weekends. We don’t need another person.”

“Actually, kiddo, we do,” Luke put in.  “We aren’t going to make you work overtime, even though we all know you would.  You need a break too, Alec, and you don’t need to carry this whole clinic on your shoulders.  We will hire a fourth vet and you might finally have some time to yourself. I’m sure Archer would appreciate having you home more.”  

Glaring at the unfair tactic of using his dog against him, Alec huffed, “Archer come to the office and on calls with me all the time and you know it.”  The real question remained, however. So where are you going to find this vet? Please tell me you aren’t hiring Duncan from Brocelind. He was awful and I’ve had to fix a few of his problems, even before they closed down.”

Maryse shuddered and shook her head.  “No, definitely not him. I know he was a big part of the reason that clinic shut down and I have no intention of doing that to our practice.  I’m going to put out some advertisements and also talk to other vets we know, see if anyone has a recommendation. Rural life isn’t for everyone but maybe there is someone out there who is looking to relocate to Alicante and we are giving them the perfect opportunity.”

He didn’t roll his eyes but it was a near thing.  Alec couldn’t imagine Alicante held any interest for someone who hadn’t grown up here.  If it wasn’t his home, he wouldn’t think twice about it. The highway was more than twenty miles away and while Main Street was cute, there wasn’t much else in town.  It was the quintessential farming community, something Alec loved but would bore most people out of their minds.

“Well, have fun, I guess.  As long as they don’t get in my way, I don’t care.”  Because he didn’t. He’d keep his patients, keep doing the house calls he loved and let the new person take over whatever his mom and Luke didn’t want to do.  Alec wouldn’t let some new person affect his job or his life. Whoever they were, they wouldn’t be worth his time.

Maryse sighed and Alec could hear the lecture coming a mile away.  “Alec, you need to learn to accept that as we get bigger, things are going to change here.  And you need to accept that. I want you involved with the candidate selection and the interview process.  You are just as important here as Luke and I are and you should have a say.”

But Alec didn’t want to have a say because everything he’d already said about the situation was being completely ignored.  “I will do my best but if I have patients, I’m going to be with them, not whoever it is you are bringing in.” It was the closest to an agreement he was going to get.   Most likely, he wouldn’t care about the person anyway. If they were competent at their job, that was enough for Alec.

“We’ll let you know.  Are you going over to your sister’s today?” With that, the topic was changed but the change in the conversation hadn’t shifted entirely from professional to personal, at least not in Maryse’s eyes.

He nodded.  “Yeah, she and Mai are having me over for dinner.  Crowley is looking so much better these days so I’ve taken him down to once a week checks.”  After Izzy’s pet snake Crowley broke his jaw, repeatedly hitting his head on the side of Maia’s fish tank (and wasn’t that an awkward conversation for him to have with the two of them) he’d been doing nightly checks of his recovery, as well as helping them get the house more snake proofed than it already was.  (Alec never claimed to be an expert in snake medicine and when Izzy adopted Crowley, he spent a lot of time learning everything he could so he could help his sister whenever she needed.)

“I’m glad.  I know Izzy liked being able to bring him in here but some of the other clients don’t understand how beautiful he really is.”  All three of them loved the snake but it got to the point that they knew when Izzy and Crowley were in the waiting room because someone would inevitably shriek when they saw him. “Tell the girls we say hello and give Crowley a boop for us both.”

Alec chuckled and considered the meeting over.  Unease still churned in his chest but he couldn’t do much about that now.  Hopefully Luke and Maryse would find someone completely unremarkable who wouldn’t disrupt things too much.  It was the best Alec could hope for.

* * *

 

Three days later, he received the text he’d been dreading, asking him to come in for the interviews that morning.  Alec wanted nothing to do with the entire situation and had feared there would be no way to get out of it, but as luck had it, he’d been called out to Wayland Farms.  One of their prize horses had a foal a few weeks back and they were concerned that the little guy wasn’t doing as well as he should.

“Sorry, mom,” he told her as he packed his things into the back of the truck they kept for just such occasions.  “If there is something wrong with that foal, neither of us would be able to forgive ourselves if I delayed going out there for a few hours.”  The animals came first each and every time, and Alec intended to use that for his own gain. “I trust you and Luke will pick the best possible person for the job.”  By which, he meant that they would pick the person who would be the least intrusive into his highly coordinated routine and life.

Maryse sighed and he knew she wanted to argue but for once, she couldn’t.  “Fine. If you can get back for the later ones, please do so.” The drive to the farm was easily an hour each way so Alec doubted he would see the clinic again until well after lunch.  And his mother knew that too.

“I’ll do my best,” he promised, if only because getting back meant possibly seeing a walk-in who wouldn’t otherwise get helped that day if Maryse and Luke were busy.  He would risk being pulled into an interview if it meant making sure every animal in town was healthy that night.

Shepherding his golden lab Archer into the truck, Alec turned on his music and drove out of town, away from the highway.  While the weather this time of year was usually fairly pleasant, that particular day was spectacular, the warmest weather of the year so far and only a few puffy white clouds in the sky.  It was as if the whole universe was smiling down upon him. A portent of good things to come.

It wasn’t long before Alec turned off the paved road and into the dirt that led out to Wayland farms.  Owned by an old Alicante family, the farm had been running for generations with no sign of slowing down.  Currently run by a man named Michael and his wife, they had a small herd of cattle, a few chickens and rabbits.  And the star of today’s appointment, a pair of horses and their newborn foal.

Luke delivered the baby only two weeks earlier and while the horse seemed to be doing just fine, it was the first one born to the Wayland family in several years and Michael was overprotective, to say the least.  He needed to know everything was okay because that horse represented so much to him; future, hope, continuation.

Thankfully for everyone involved, the foal was doing well, thriving under their care and the care of his parents.  Alec watched as it ran in the pasture alongside his mother, and after a thorough examination, decided that unless they saw anything particularly concerning, he probably wouldn’t need to be back out.  

As a thank you, the Waylands invited Alec to stay for lunch so it was well into the afternoon before he started the trek back to town.  Alec often lost himself in work, and today was no exception. It wasn’t until he pulled in at the office and realized that both Luke and Maryse were there that he remembered the interviews and everything they entailed.  While they were definitely over by now, the last one having been scheduled for 10:30, Alec still didn’t want to get dragged into a conversation about which one to choose so he and Archer sat in the truck for a few more minutes while he scrolled through twitter.  

They used the clinic twitter account for big announcements (when Luke and Maryse got married when Alec joined the practice) as well as for small things like vaccines being available or a shift in the hours.  Alec rarely thought anything of it because everything that was posted there he already knew about.

But seeing that the Lightway Veterinary Clinic Twitter account posted something an hour earlier, Alec was curious.  And then horrified.

They hired someone.  They actually hired someone to work alongside them.  

And not just anyone.  Magnus Bane. Bane of Alec’s existence, thorn in his side and all around asshole.

Fuck.

Magnus probably took this job specifically to piss Alec off.  It was something he would do.

Alec groaned and ran his hand through his hair before turning the truck back on and heading for home.  He couldn’t be there today. Not now. Not knowing that his place of work, the place he was happiest would now be tainted by his mortal enemy.

Fuck Magnus Bane.

The sooner he was gone, the better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of work. Magnus meets his new coworker.

"Chairman!  Church! You two little terrors be good while I'm at work."  Magnus rushed around the small apartment he'd rented in town.  It wasn't the nicest place he'd ever lived but for the price, he might have been able to get a closet in New York so he wasn't really complaining.  He could always find someplace else once he was more settled in the job.

Putting the finishing touches on his makeup, Magnus bent to give each cat a quick kiss before hurrying out the door, slamming it behind him.  (Church was too smart for his own good and learned how to open doors so Magnus was careful about making sure they were always latched and locked.) 

The clinic was only a few blocks away, one of the main selling points for this apartment, so Magnus decided to walk.  The warmth of summer was almost upon them and with the sun shining and the birds chirping, Magnus felt like this was the start of a good new chapter in his life.  

Maryse and Luke asked him to arrive at nine, an hour after the clinic officially opened, so they would have time to get through all the paperwork before he got there and could spend the day getting him settled in.  He smiled as he stepped through the door at precisely nine. Luke was waiting for him and extended his hand. "Magnus, great to see you again. Clary told me you found a place to live." 

"Yep, practically just around the corner," he grinned, shaking the man's hand.  "The cats definitely like it. Well, Chairman Meow does. I'm not sure Church likes anything."  Luke led him through to the back where Magnus assumed the offices were, as Magnus continued to talk.  "I wasn't sure if I would be able to sleep without the constant din of traffic and city life but Alicante is even more peaceful than I imagined it would be."

"I remember when I moved here after vet school.  I never thought I would get used to it but I couldn't stand the idea of taking care of those spoiled Fifth Avenue pups.  So Jocelyn and I moved here. The two of us didn't work out, but I can't imagine living anywhere other than Alicante. Which is good because this is where I met Maryse and the rest is history."  Luke opened the door to one of the offices. "This one will be yours. You're going to share with Alec. Maryse's and my office is across the way. When they built the clinic, they never expected to have four vets so we have to share.  Hope that isn't an issue?"   


Magnus didn't reply immediately, his mind fixated on one word.  Or, more specifically, one name.   


Alec.    


It couldn't be, right?  Last Magnus heard, he'd moved upstate to work at his family clinic and...    


"Luke, this is probably a question I should have asked earlier but it didn't seem important and now I'm curious."  Magnus hoped he was coming off as nonchalant as he was trying for. "But, how did you name the clinic? Lightway Veterinary is a unique name."   


Luke shrugged, "It was originally Lightwood Veterinary but when I came on, Maryse and I agreed to combine our two names.  So it's Lightwood and Garroway. With two Lightwoods here, and me, we've kept it that way but with you on, we might need to consider another name change."   


Alec.  Lightwood.   


Of fucking course.  Magnus kicked himself for not doing any research before accepting this job.  He never expected Clary to lead him back to his old vet school rival. To the man who beat Magnus out for the top position in the class by a meager tenth of a point.  To the man he would never, ever forgive for being just that much better than him in school.    


"So, I'm sharing an office with...Alec Lightwood?" Magnus asked, needing to know for certain.  

"Yep, that's exactly it."  Thankfully the office was empty when they stepped inside, giving Magnus a few minutes to come to terms with his new piece of information.  "Looks like Alec is in with a patient right now but you will meet him soon enough. Bright kid. Top in his class. And Maryse's son. Just so you know."   


Magnus let out a long, slow exhale through his nose, steadying his racing heart and adrenaline pumping through his veins.  Clary would be getting an earful as soon as he was off work. "We've already met, actually. Went to school together."   


The silence was deafening before Luke's mouth curled up.  "Oh, that explains so much." Yet, Luke didn't explain that cryptic comment to Magnus at all, leaving his thoughts to circle round and round on what Alec might have told them about him.  He did get the job, though, so it couldn't have been that bad, Magnus hoped. "If you want to leave your things here and grab your lab coat, I'll show you the rest of the place. It's pretty typical for a vet clinic.  Four examination rooms, lab, kennel. We have a dog run outside and you are more than welcome to bring your dog to work if you have one. Cats too, though you have to know that both Alec and I bring our dogs, so the cat would need to be comfortable with that."

As they walked, Magnus sent a series of furious texts to his best friend who failed to mention just who worked at this clinic.  Of course, he could have looked it up himself but surely Clary would have told him something as important as “an asshole named Alec Lightwood works there so just be aware of that.”   


Luke explained everything, walking Magnus down the halls and pointing out all the important things he needed to know.  "We've decided to have you shadow Alec for the first two weeks, just so you can get a feel for the place. We do a lot of house calls,  mostly for the livestock on the surrounding farms, so you will go with Alec on those.  Can't imagine you did much work with chickens and cows in Brooklyn, so we understand it might take a while before you are completely comfortable going on your own." 

Magnus nodded along, trying to convince himself that this wasn't the worst thing that could happen.  It had been years since they last saw one another. Surely they were older and wiser, they wouldn't resort to childish pranks and insults like they did throughout veterinary school.  They could work together now. There wasn't any competition here. Obviously, Alec's mother and step-father owned the clinic so he would definitely be the favorite. Magnus was okay with that.  It didn't reflect on him as a vet, only that he wasn't family.   


And considering how much he hated Alec back in school, Magnus was thankful to not be family.     


As they turned the corner back through the lab to return to Magnus's office, they ran into the man himself.  Tall as Magnus remembered, but a little more filled out, slightly less gangly, Alec Lightwood stood there as plain as day and Magnus couldn't deny any longer that this was the same man who made veterinary school hell for him.     


"Oh, you're here," he said, looking over Magnus with a look of utter contempt.  "Don't mess up my office. Your room will be exam room three. It has a draft and no window but you'll manage. Lunch hours are from twelve to one but if there is a client you'll be expected to work and just fit in your meal whenever you can."  With that, he turned on his heel and left the room.    


Magnus sighed and Luke clicked his tongue in disapproval.  "Not sure what is wrong with him. He hates change and fought against hiring anyone but I thought he would at least manage to be polite."     


Magnus, of course, knew better.  Alec had no interest in being polite.  Not once during the years they went to school together did the man ever have anything nice to say to him.  Why would that change now, just because they had a few years apart, both  succeeding in their chosen field? “We have history,” Magnus explained simply.  If he was honest, he didn’t even know why the animosity started, only that it continued to this day and Magnus would not be the first one to break. 

“Oh, did you two date?” Luke asked as simply as that, eyes widening when Magnus choked on air, shaking his head drastically.  “Okay, or not. Guess I read that wrong.”

“Hey, objectively I can tell you he is a great looking guy and one I would definitely pick up in a club if I didn’t already know what a sour, awful personality he has.” 

Magnus might have even considered asking Alec out their first year in vet school.  Alec was so pretty and so smart and Magnus couldn't avoid the attraction if he tried.  Until Magnus beat Alec on one of their tests and the man had a meltdown, demanding to see the exams of the students who ranked ahead of him because there was no way he could get those questions wrong if other people got them right.  It was then and there that Magnus decided he wasn't worth the hassle and the heartache. 

He would enjoy the man's looks from afar and verbally smack him down every chance he got.  Of which there were many. 

The two shared almost every class and so they would sit on opposite sides of the room, answering every question the professor threw at them.  Whoever answered first would glare at the other until the next question came. 

It could have been healthy competition, two men pushing each other to be the best, but Alec never made Magnus feel like this was something friendly.  No, they were both out for blood and neither would accept anything less than first place. 

In the end, Alec beat Magnus for the top of the class by such a slim margin that it would have been inconsequential to anyone else.  Magnus already hated him but at commencement, when Alec walked up to him, instead of offering his congratulations, Alec stared at him for a moment before blurting out, "I'm sure you will do well in New York, no one there will care that you cam in second."  

He turned and practically ran away, leaving Magnus to mutter "asshole" under his breath.  They never saw each other again, though their school newsletter often mentioned one of the other so he could at least keep tabs on Alec.  If he wanted to. Which he didn't, obviously.

Because if he had, he would have noticed that his arch-enemy, the man he hated above all others, was one of the three veterinarians on staff at the Lightway Veterinary Clinic in Alicante, New York.  And if he saw that, Magnus would have accepted the interview, let alone the position. 

As it stood, he wouldn't let Alec Lightwood drive him away from what could be a good job.  He wouldn't dare give the man the satisfaction. 

All those feelings came flying back as he watched the retreating form of the other vet, wishing that he'd looked at more information before accepting the position.  Or at least asked the interviewers what their last names were. Maryse Lightwood would have been a huge red flag for Magnus if he ever heard it. 

Now it was too late and Magnus would have to be the bigger person.  He could do that. he could work with this man who hated him, who was the biggest dick Magnus ever met.  

"That doesn't sound like the Alec I know," Luke said, pulling Magnus out of his memories and back to the present.  "He's a good guy. A little standoffish but as soon as he gets to know you, he tends to warm right up. I'm sure you'll be friends in no time."

Magnus doubted that strongly but he would let Luke live in that delusion.  "I hope so. Surely we've both grown up since school. He probably was just surprised to see me."  Magnus knew better. They’d spent three years sharing classes and never once liked one another. Why would working together be any different?

Alec Lightwood was an ass and Magnus didn’t care if he ever saw him again.  Wished he wouldn’t see him again. 

But if they had to work together, then Magnus would be the bigger person.  He could do that, he was certain.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus reevaluates his life choices

By the end of the night, Magnus wondered if he’d ever been this tired before. Exhaustion weighed down his limbs to the point that he didn’t know if he could even make it up the stairs to his apartment. He made it somehow, each step more tiring than the last. The job itself was wonderful. Magnus enjoyed the few patients he saw that day and the novelty of working in an office wasn’t going to wear off any time soon.  

The issue was and would continue to be, Alec.  

“Chairman, remind me why I hated those spoiled dogs again?” Magnus asked as he collapsed onto the couch in his living room, not even bothering to take off his coat.  “I miss Bitsy and only one man could make me say that."

Magnus didn't even know if he did miss Bitsy.  What he missed was being his own boss, was knowing that he would work with people he wanted or not at all.  If Lightway had been what he'd expected, with just Luke and Maryse and some faceless other vet, Magnus wouldn't have minded working for another person.  But as it stood, he needed to figure out a way to be near Alec without wanting to kill him.  Magnus figured killing him wouldn't allow him to keep this job very long.

Luke told him Alec would be taking over his training, taking him out to the local farms and getting him acquainted with the care of larger animals and livestock.  He hadn't been kidding when he said Magnus didn't have a lot of experience with cows being based in Brooklyn. They'd covered it in school, but Magnus didn't remember much.  They'd been out of school for several years and he never once had the care of goats or sheep come up in his daily life. Until now.

"I have to go to a farm, Chairman.  I don't even know what to wear to go to a farm."  Even today in the office, Magnus's usual work attire seemed far too formal for the laid-back atmosphere of Alicante.  He would need to reevaluate his clothing, choose something more casual - but still stylish - for regular office visits.  

For house calls, he really had no idea.

Finding what little energy he had left, Magnus pushed himself to his feet and took his coat and shoes to the door.  Then he poured himself a glass of wine and leaned against the kitchen counter, considering his day. Lightway had a lovely office and it would be a joy to use such state of the art facilities.  Despite what Clary had told him, he expected the place to be a little worn down, for the mere fact of it being in the middle of nowhere. He knew it was his own stereotypes that gave him that impression but Luke and Maryse quickly dispelled them.

He also knew that he would enjoy the variety of work.  The sheer number of different species he saw in the files at the office told him that there was far more than cats, dogs, and a few birds here in Alicante.  It would require him to think outside the box, to move out of his comfort zone and get better as a vet. All of those things interested Magnus so he had no complaint there.  

The issue began and ended with Alec Lightwood.

Even after all this time, Alec held some deep-seated hatred of him that Magnus never understood.  Back in school, he tried to figure out what he might have done to upset the man but other than the one test where he did better than Alec that first semester, he couldn’t remember any interaction between them at all.  And even that was more him demanding to see the other tests than actually talking to Magnus himself.

But that was fine.  Mangus could be the bigger person, could work with him and not stoop to his level.  At least that was what he thought as he poured a second glass of wine and returned to the couch to cuddle with Chairman.  "He probably hates cats," Magnus grumbled, glaring at nothing in particular.

If he was being honest, he perhaps antagonized Alec a bit while they were in school.  Once he realized how seriously the other took his studies, and how determined he was to be first in the class, Magnus might have tried harder, just to unseat him from the top.  At some point, it changed from him trying to annoy Alec to Magnus honestly wanting to finish first in the class. He didn't know when the shift took place, only that it did and he studied his ass off, hoping and praying that each test would be the one to push him over the top.

At graduation, when they announced the top in the class, he held his breath, only to hear Alec's name called over his.  It was so close. So close, the speaker said but that didn't matter. It didn't matter than one point in either direction would have meant the difference between Magnus being in first or Alec.  What mattered was that when all was said and done, Alec was better.

And at the beginning of their time in school, Magnus wouldn't have cared.  He would have laughed off his second place and moved on with his life. But by the end, it might as well have been a fate worse than death.  He was humiliated and moved to Brooklyn that night, not wanting to deal with Alec and his gloating were he to stay for the post-commencement reception.

Since the night of their graduation, Magnus hadn't seen anything of Alec.  Magnus never traveled with Clary when she went home, unsure what a tiny town like this would have had to offer him.  And he doubted that there was anything in New York that would appeal to a man like Alec. He seemed like a small town guy through and through.  So there was no way their paths would have crossed.

Until Magnus jumped out of his comfort zone and moved to a tiny town in upstate New York without doing all of his research.  He could hear Ragnor's disapproving voice all the way from England telling him to stop doing impulsive things and maybe think about his decisions before committing to them.  

But that wasn't who Magnus was and he never had been.  For the first time in ages, that had come back to bite him in the worst possible way.  

To entertain himself, he posted a picture of Chairman and his wine, adding a self-pitying comment about it being a mistake coming here.  And while he expected the harsh response he got, particularly from Raphael, he didn't expect Simon to call him up to talk about it.

"Hello Sherwin," he said with a sigh when he answered the phone.  "Raphael putting you up to calling me or is this Raphael using Solomon's phone because he knows I won't answer a call from him."

"Neither.  I'm calling because I'm worried about you, Magnus."  It was indeed Simon's voice and Magnus relaxed infinitesimally.  "You've made bad decisions before but you don't usually drink with your cat.  And on a work night no less. Talk to me."

"There's nothing to say.  I took this job without knowing that the man who made veterinary school hell for me also worked here.  He made it perfectly clear that he still hates me. So I think I might have made a big mistake and should just come home and deal with pampered Pomeranians for the rest of my career."  He took a sip of his wine, continuing to glare, though Magnus couldn't tell if he was mad at Alec, at himself, or just the world in general.

Simon was silent for a moment and Magnus thought he might have hung up somewhere n that rant.  But then he cleared his throat and Magnus braced himself for whatever Simon-isms were coming his way.  "Okay, first, you hate working for the pampered Pomeranians as you call them so even if you do come back, don't go back to that job.  Find something else where you would actually be happy. Second, did you even try to talk to Alec or did you do that thing where you close yourself off immediately instead of taking a chance and letting someone in."

"You're confusing me for your boyfriend, my dear.  I am the life of every party. I do not close myself off, as you suggest."  Magnus was horrified at the very thought.

Simon sighed, and Magnus could almost picture his eyes rolling.  "You are the life of the party but how many of those people actually know you.  Outside of Clary, Raphael, and myself, who else knows you? Cat and Ragnor? Who live all the way in England, by the way.  Is there anyone else? Or have you kept yourself guarded enough that everyone just sees the flash without glimpsing what lies underneath?"

"If they can't see beyond the flash, as you put it, that is because they aren't looking hard enough.  That is hardly my fault." Even to his own ears, the argument fell flat but Magnus was going to stick with it because it was better than admitting his own faults.  

On the other line, Simon hummed.  In the background, he could hear Simon and Raphael's dogs running around and Raphael yelling at them both.  He smiled to himself, wishing he could be there with his friends rather than here in this tiny apartment in a tiny town where no one really wanted him.  Well, where one person didn't want him but that was enough to make him feel terrible about himself and his life.

"Magnus, when I first met you, all I saw was the flash.  You didn't even bother to learn my name for the first year we were friends.  Raphael kept telling me about how you were so much more than just the party guy who liked animals, but despite spending all that time with you, I didn't see it.  It wasn't until that night when I had too much wine and cried about losing my dad that you finally started to open up to me. It was that night that I was finally allowed to see the real you.  People shouldn't have to cry and talk about traumatic childhood experiences before they get to know you. There shouldn't be any test of whether or not the person is worthy. But you guard yourself so tightly that I don't know how much longer I would have labored under the illusion that you project, not knowing that one of my best friends was so much more than I ever thought."

“So you are saying I should let a man who has hated me for years into my inner circle?  That _that_ is the reason he hates me so much?  I’m sorry, Sherwin, but I just can’t believe that.  He made up his mind about me the moment I did better than him on a test and that is that.  If he isn’t willing to budge, then why should I try and open up to him?” Magnus guarded his heart closely for good reason.  If he were to just start showing all his feelings and thoughts to other people, he could get hurt. More hurt, because he would be lying if he said Alec’s attitude towards him pain him.  

Simon sighed on the other side of the line.  “Just think about it, Magnus? You have to work with him so you might want to try and find some way to make that more enjoyable.”

“I will take it under advisement.  But for now, I’m going to hang up. I have wine to drink and a cat to talk to.  I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Okay, Magnus.  Take care.”

“You too, Simon.  Give my love to Raphael.  But don’t actually tell him I said that.”

Simon laughed and agreed before hanging up.  Magnus swirled his wine and considered Simon’s words.  Perhaps he was a little harsh in his assessment of Alec.  Who knows what he was going through yesterday. It might have just been a bad day.  Magnus could give him one more chance. He owed it to Alec and to himself.

But if the man continued to be an ass, then all bets were off.  Magnus wouldn’t allow himself to be pushed around like that. If Alec tried, he wouldn’t know what hit him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First house call. It goes as well as can be expected.

The next morning, Magnus arrived at work with shoulders rolled back and head held high.  He was the best veterinarian in all of Brooklyn. He could handle a little jealousy from some small town vet who couldn’t take the competition.  That was what he told himself as he stepped through the doors of the clinic. 

“Good morning, Magnus!” Luke grinned, shaking his hand.  “Glad to see you this morning. Hope this isn’t too early for you because it isn’t going to change.  Ever. With so many clients on farms, our hours are early so we can get in late afternoon and evening house calls when necessary.  Though today you’re going to be out of the office all day so in that respect, you can just ignore everything I said. Can I get you some coffee?”

Magnus liked the guy.  He was friendly, everyone’s dad.  It was clear that he cared deeply about his family, about his coworkers, about the business, and about the patients.  It probably made him a fantastic vet, though Magnus hadn’t seen him work yet. 

He wished it was Luke he was accompanying for the day instead of Alec.  It would be a lot more fun with him. “Any chance I can talk you out of the house call?” Magnus asked, winking at him.  

“Sorry, man, but you and Alec are going to handle this one.  I have clients in the office all day and I promised Maryse a nice dinner out tonight and I would prefer not to smell like a farm.  You’ll be fine. Just listen to Alec. All your training is going to come right back.” 

Magnus honestly doubted that and raised a brow, ready with a witty retort on the tip of his tongue. It died quickly, however, when Alec walked in and gave Magnus a once over that made his blood run cold.  Everyone else seemed to trust him but Magnus felt certain that the moment his back was turned, Alec would have him killed. They know all sorts of medicines that could make it look like an accident. 

“Alec, great, you’re here.  You and Magnus are going out to Underhill Farms to check on their swine.”  Luke handed over the file and Alec took it before Magnus even had a chance to glance at it.  

Flipping through quickly, Alec gave a terse nod.  “I’ll go get everything we’ll need.” He turned on his heel and was out the door before Magnus could say anything at all. 

“He’s delightful.  I can see why you all keep him around,” Magnus deadpanned.  “I know he’s Maryse’s son and your stepson but he’s basically an ass.”  Normally Magnus thought he could charm anyone but Alec Lightwood had proven over and over again that he didn’t want anything to do with Magnus or his charms.  

Luke laughed, though Magnus didn’t find anything about this situation very funny.  “Yeah, well, the kid is hard on himself. Harder than you could possibly imagine. Give him a break, okay?  Once you get past the icy exterior, he’s a very nice guy.”

Before Magnus could reply, Alec walked back into the room.  “If you’re going with me, we’re leaving now. I don’t have time to wait around for you all day.”  He strode past him and out the door, leaving Magnus glaring at his retreating form.

“Nice guy.  Sure he is,” Magnus muttered, following Alec out to the truck.  

If he thought the tension between them couldn’t get any thicker, the moment Magnus got in the truck, the air grew far too still, to the point that even breathing was difficult.  Since arriving, he’d only stayed in town, never venturing out to the more rural places, even though he knew he’d be going there eventually. But it seemed important to know where he was living first and foremost.  

Which might have been a mistake, he realized belatedly, when Alec through the truck into gear and took off out of town, in a direction Magnus had hardly looked yet, let alone explored.  Alicante’s city limits extended the length of three blocks so in no time at all, the few roads he was familiar with were gone and Magnus was staring at the great unknown. Alone in a car with someone who hated him and would be much happier if he wasn’t around anymore.  If Alec killed him and dropped the body out here, they may never find him. Clary and Simon would be upset, maybe even Raphael, but no one else would even notice he was gone. 

That did not help his anxiety and paranoia started to kick in.  Pulling out his phone, Magnus snapped a picture of the dirt road they were driving down along with a caption that he hoped would at least catch people’s attention if he didn’t return.  He didn’t care what everyone said about Alec being sweet and wonderful. He hated Magnus and it didn’t seem like a huge stretch of the imagination that he might kill him someday.

He could hear Ragnor’s voice in the back of his head telling him to stop being an idiot and just do his job already.  Or was it Raphael’s? His two best friends were starting to sound like each other inside his head. 

They bumped down the road, dust flying up from the truck’s wheels and Magnus tried to remember how they got here but it seemed that all of his sense of direction was left in Brooklyn because he didn’t even know which way he would need to turn to get back to town.  Maybe Alec wouldn’t kill him. Maybe he would just abandon Magnus out here and let the elements take him out instead. 

_ You’re doing it again _ , his inner Ragnor told him and Magnus thought maybe that was something he would need to get checked out.  Inner Ragnors seemed like a medical condition best dealt with as swiftly as possible.

Lost to his thoughts about all the ways Alec could kill him, Magnus only glanced up when the truck slowed to a stop outside a picturesque farmhouse.  This was the sort of thing Norman Rockwell would have painted, the things conservative fantasies about ‘old-fashioned family values’ were based on. 

“The couple who owns this is two women so if you have a problem with that, best to keep it to yourself.  I’m gay, they’re sapphic, and none of us want to hear any criticism for that.” It was the first thing Alec said since they left the clinic and Magnus shouldn’t have been surprised at just how insulting it was.  And yet, he was. 

Because how could Alec even think that would be an issue for him?

“I’m bisexual, you condescending ass,” he grumbled.  “Not that you have ever bothered to get to know anything about me.  If you’d paid attention to anything other than my grades, maybe you would have learned something.”   He got out of the truck, not bothering to look back at Alec, and slamming the door for good measure. He’d expected a bunch of judgment living in a small town but not from a gay man who also had a sister married to a woman.  

Grabbing his bag from the back of the truck, Magnus intended to go stomping off to wherever the work was and just ignore Alec completely.  Which would have worked if he had any idea what they were supposed to be doing. Alec still hadn’t let him even look at the file, so he was completely in the dark.

He stood next to the truck while Alec took his time getting out, getting his things, looking through the mysterious file one last time.  Their clients were animals. They had no need for privacy when it came to their medical records, particularly from one who would be providing the care, but Alec seemed to think Magnus wasn’t even trustworthy enough to know what species they were working with that day.  

Quietly fuming, Magnus followed Alec when the man wordlessly started to walk away, acting for all the world like Magnus wasn’t even there.  At the farmhouse, Alec greeted the couple like close friends, hugging them both and kissing their cheeks. He then launched right into his explanation about what would need to be done, continuing to pointedly ignore Magnus, despite him standing right there in front of him.  

“Dr. Lightwood, maybe you could introduce us to your partner?” one of the women asked.  She smiled at Magnus, “I’m Aline and this is my wife Helen. This farm has been in my family for generations.  The Lightwoods have been in this town just as long so Alec and I have known each other forever. Basically cousins.  Actually, the way this town is, we probably are cousins.” She laughed, warm and friendly and Magnus briefly wondered if he’d been reading Alec all wrong.  If this kind woman and her wife liked him, he couldn’t possibly be that bad.

“That’s Magnus.  He’s not staying.  Ignore him,” Alec grumbled and all of Magnus’s goodwill towards him went out the door.  

He rolled his eyes and extended his hand.  “Dr. Magnus Bane. I’m the new veterinarian at the clinic.  I’ve just moved here from Brooklyn so if you have any tips for living in a small town, I would be happy to hear them.”  Magnus pointedly ignored Alec’s mumbled  _ Yeah, get out _ and smiled back at the couple.  “Maybe you could tell me what the problem is?  I haven’t had a lot of experience working on farms so I’m anxious to see how it’s done.”

Aline and Helen led the way towards one of the barns.  The smell was pronounced and Magnus did his best not to grimace.  It was something he would have to get used to, he supposed. Farms might be fresh air and sunlight, but they were also large concentrations of animals in relatively small places.  There was bound to be an...aroma. “Our pigs are due for some vaccinations. I was pretty sure that we explained that when we called.” Helen looked baffled and Magnus offered her a kind smile.  It certainly wasn’t her fault that his partner for the day was a jerk.

“Oh, I’m sure you did.  I just haven’t seen the file yet.  Besides, it is always better to hear it directly from the owners.  You know your animals better than anyone.” Pointedly ignoring Alec’s scoff behind him, Magnus stepped into the barn, sighing when he saw the pigs.  

It wasn’t the animals that he had an issue with, at least not specifically.  They weren’t at fault for being what they were. And it was clear that Aline and Helen’s farm was well managed and from where he stood, the swine looked healthy.  But there was an inherent dirtiness that came with a business like this, one that Magnus didn’t encounter much with the dogs of Brooklyn. And there were so many of them.  So many. 

Magnus was still staring at the sounder of swine when Alec shoved the bag into his hands.  “All the vaccines are in there. I’ll be here if you need someone to tell you what to do.” Annoyingly, the other vet simply leaned against the barn door and nodded towards all the pigs that were standing there, completely unaware of the power struggle going on between the two men who’d entered their home.  

Not willing to look like a coward or incompetent, Magnus took the bag, rolled his shoulders back and walked over to the pens.  There was no way to reach the pigs without getting in there with him and he silently mourned the loss of his shoes as he stepped into the muck and made his way over to them.  “If you all could stay still and just let me give you these shots, then we’ll all be happier, okay?” he explained to over a dozen pigs that had no interest in listening to him.  

One by one, Magnus managed to give each pig its shot.  Thankfully, Aline and Helen helped him by ushering each vaccinated animal out into the field so he could keep track of which ones were done and which ones weren’t.  By the time the last pig left the barn, Magnus’s shoes were ruined and his attitude was poor. The whole time he was working, Alec stood by laughing and taking pictures, doing absolutely nothing to help out.  “You could have helped, you know,” he snapped at Alec, shoving the bag into his chest. “There is no reason for you to stand there and do nothing while I do all the work. Just because you are the son of the owners doesn’t mean you get to treat everyone else like they don’t matter.”

Alec opened his mouth to retort but Magnus held up a finger.  “Whatever you have to say, I don’t want to hear it. I’ll be waiting for you in the truck.”  With that, he turned on his heel and stormed back across the farm. He climbed into the truck, slamming the door with more force than necessary.

Magnus pulled out his phone, writing his notes about what he gave the pigs, how much of each dose and how many pigs in total.  Since Alec still hadn’t given him the file, he needed to keep track some other way until he got back to a computer and managed to update it properly.  

When the man in question climbed in the truck, Magnus turned and faced out the window.  He had nothing to say to Alec Lightwood and just wanted to get back to town. He had a date that night with his cat, a bottle of wine, and a ton of ice cream.  

The thought of those things was the only thing that kept him from screaming at Alec the long, quiet ride back to town, or during the tense hour spent in their shared office.  

When Magnus walked home that night, he made it as far as his building before looking down at his shoes with a heavy sigh.  He snapped a quick picture before slipping them off and dropping them in the nearest garbage. There was no saving them. He’d need to find somewhere to buy good work shoes.  

But that was a problem for another day, he thought miserably as he walked up the stairs to his loft.  At least this day was over and he didn’t have to see Alec Lightwood for at least twelve more hours. 

Small miracles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be honest and say it is unlikely this fic will be updated again until December 2018. I might be wrong and surprise myself but I don't know how much time I will have during NaNo to work on other stories. But I will pick it back up again as soon as possible!
> 
> Thanks for understanding.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the day they had, both Alec and Magnus turn to their biggest supporters. Which may or may not be a good idea.

“You would not believe this guy!” Alec ranted.  The moment he dropped Magnus at the office, he turned and headed for home, calling his sister on the way.  Whenever he was upset, there was one person he could always turn to and Izzy was listening patiently as he carried on.  “You’d think he never saw mud before. And the moment he faced the pigs? It would have been hilarious if not completely unprofessional.  I still don’t understand why mom and Luke hired him.”

Izzy sighed, a sound Alec knew all too well, and he braced himself for whatever wisdom his sister was about to lay on him.  “Well, partly they hired him because you’re a dumbass. If you showed up to the interviews like they wanted you to, you could have had a say.  So you can’t blame this entirely on them when you could have changed the outcome. You are the most stubborn man I know, Alec, and it finally came back to bite you in the ass.  

“Geez, Iz.  Tell me how you really feel.”  He loved her but sometimes Izzy’s brand of tough love grated on him.

“Alec, you know I love you.  You also know the reason you didn’t go to that interview was that you thought they wouldn’t hire anyone without consulting you first.  But inviting you to the interview _was_ them consulting you.  You declined to comment so they made the decision themselves.  Now you are put out over your own actions coming back at you. The thing is, you being upset will not change anything.  So leave the bad attitude at the door and welcome the new guy who is probably in way over his head. You said he came from Brooklyn, right?  You’re supposed to be helping him get adjusted to Alicante, not drive him away from it.” In the background, he could hear his sister-in-law agreeing with Izzy.  And yelling more things about Alec being an idiot who needed to pull his head out of his ass.

He rolled his eyes.  “Anyway, even if I wanted someone new at the office, this guy wouldn’t be the right fit.  I know Magnus. He’s a self-centered, arrogant asshole who made all of veterinary school miserable for me.”  Even now, years later, Alec’s blood boiled at the thought of their rivalry. They hardly ever talked at school but the few interactions they had were enough to solidify Alec’s opinion of the other man.  Magnus didn’t like Alec. Alec didn’t like Magnus. Working in the same office would not help that situation. Most likely, it would only make it worse.

“Wait, you know him?  Why didn’t you say something before?  I thought you were mad because they hired him without telling you.  This is different.” Izzy turned the phone on speaker and he could picture Maia crowding around the phone to hear his answer.  He loved them but they were the worst gossips he ever met. After Jace. “I think there is more to this story than you are letting on.”

“We had a small rivalry at school.  I beat him out for the top in the class by half a percent.  We traded the position back and forth the entire time we were there.  And when we graduated and I came out on top, he made some snide comments about me and moved to Brooklyn the next day.  That’s it. He’s a sore loser and the clinic would be better off without him.”

Izzy started to laugh and Maia joined in a moment later.  Alec glared at the phone, not sure what part of that was so hilarious.  “Wait, you two hate each other because you were a half percent different in grades in veterinary school?  That’s it?” Maia asked the question, probably because Izzy couldn’t stop laughing long enough to ask it herself.

“And he said something rude about me,” Alec mumbled, hating that he sounded like a petulant toddler.  It was so much worse than that. They had to be there to understand!

Izzy chuckled, trying to get herself under control.  “And third place? How far behind were they?”

“I don’t know?  Seven or eight percent?”

“So all of this is over the fact that the two of you were significantly better students than the rest of your peers and you were slightly better at one tiny thing in school that set you ahead?  And now you two have hated each other for years, still hate each other despite not seeing the other for that entire time, all over a half of a percent?”

It was all he could do to not hang up the phone, knowing it would only prove Izzy and Maia right and that was the last thing Alec wanted to do.  “When you put it like that, it sounds idiotic. There was so much more to it.”

“It sounds idiotic because it _is_ idiotic.  There is no way to make that story less ridiculous.  I mean, maybe if he broke your heart and you’ve been pining for him ever since, but I think you two had your heads too far in the sand in vet school to ever figure that out.”  Maia laughed, and while Alec knew his sister-in-law loved him, he got the distinct feeling of being laughed at, not with.

“You know what,” Izzy said with a heavy sigh.  “We’ll talk about this tonight at the bar. We’ll be over in a few minutes.  Make yourself presentable. Take a shower so you don’t smell like pigs all night.”  Before Alec could even argue, Izzy continued. “And don’t tell me you don’t smell like pigs.  You literally called to tell me about your day at a pig farm. You’ve been on the phone with us since you left work.  You haven’t taken a shower yet, therefore, you smell like pigs. Do something about that before we get there.” She disconnected, leaving Alec hanging on the line, wishing he had another sister he could call.  

While there was always Jace, he was more likely to make things worse than better.  Besides, Alec knew Clary was in town and Jace would be spending all his free time with her.  

Alec loved Izzy and he loved Maia, so he sighed and dropped his phone on the table, going to take his shower before they got there to pick him up.

Meanwhile, close to Alec’s home, Magnus trudged up the steps to his own apartment.  Leaving the shoes outside the door, Magnus stripped out of his clothes as soon as he was inside.  Most of them were ruined. Dry clean only was a risky proposition working as a vet in the city. In the country, it was a perfect way to make your clothes one use only.  He hadn’t even seen a dry cleaners in town, which probably should have told him something.

The shoes had been a favorite of his and he hated to see them go but nothing could save them now.  They were beyond help. He toyed with the idea of trying to save the rest of his clothes but he threw them outside the door with the shoes and would throw them out in the morning.  It wasn’t worth the effort.

He stepped into the shower, scrubbing in the hot water to try and rid himself of the dirty feeling that clung to his skin no matter how much he washed.  There was dirty and then there was _I worked at a pig farm all day_ dirty.  Magnus knew without a doubt that he had never experienced anything like this before.  

Taking a job as a vet in such a small town came with these risks and Magnus understood that when he agreed to the position.  He didn’t understand that he would be paired with the most unpleasant man on the planet, someone who would refuse to help him and watch gleefully as he floundered around in the much, trying to figure out how to do his new job.

Magnus hated Alec Lightwood.  He’d hated him since veterinary school and he would hate him forever.  Like the clothes Magnus left outside, there was no way to redeem Alec as far as Magnus was concerned.  He was a lost cause.

From what Magnus could tell, Alec was a self-righteous prick who believed he was God’s gift to veterinary medicine.  Stubborn and rude, the less time Magnus spent with him, the better. After all this time, Magnus couldn’t believe Alec still held a grudge, at least to the point where he would be that openly antagonistic towards him.   Magnus hated him all the more for it.

After his long shower when he was finally starting to feel clean once more, Magnus got ice cream and wine.  He settled in for a long night on his couch, watching trash television and thinking horrible thoughts about his coworker.  He could feel sorry for himself in the comfort of his own home and then return Monday, ready to face Alec again. Magnus refused to be brought down by a spoiled brat who thought himself better than everyone else.  

Chairman curled up on Magnus’s lap, purring happily, content to sit there for the rest of the night, and if Magnus was honest, he was too.  Which made him all the more annoyed when Clary texted him to get dressed and stop moping.

He loved her.  He really did. And Magnus knew he’d been asking for this when he posted the picture of his night on Instagram.  That didn’t mean he wanted to put up with her incessant chipperness and how happy she was with that blond boy-toy of hers.

When she told him to get ready to go out, he mumbled aloud, “Like hell I will.”  He might have been slightly bitter that Clary recommended him to this job in the first place.  The fact that she had no way of knowing about his rivalry and subsequent hatred of Alec Lightwood didn’t matter in his annoyance.  But she was also his best friend, and Magnus felt bad about ignoring her, so he responded quickly, declining the invitation.

The annoyance was back, however, when Clary managed to convince him to go out, despite his wishes to stay in and lick his wounds, so to speak.  He didn’t want to go out. Magnus couldn’t imagine any place in Alicante compared to Brooklyn and he found himself missing his home in the big city.  Still, he was dressed to kill by the time Clary and Jace showed up at his front door. “What no doubt fascinating establishment will we be going to tonight?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.  He’d go out, but he didn’t have to be happy about it.

“Wow, aren’t you a little ray of sunshine,” Jace muttered, trying and failing to keep a smirk off his face.  

Clary elbowed him and glared at Magnus.  “We’re going to the Hunter’s Moon. The only bar in town so the options are rather limited.”  She held up a finger to stop Magnus from saying anything. “It’s nice. Reminds of a place we visit in Brooklyn so reserve your judgments until after we get there.  

Knowing that trying to dig his heels in and argue with her would only end in a headache, Magnus reluctantly agreed.  He was already dressed, after all, so he might as well go get a drink with friends. “Fine, but you’re buying the first round.”  Anything to help him take his mind off the disastrous day.

At least he had the weekend off.  He could get drunk off his ass and just sleep the day away.  Like everything in Alicante, the bar was in walking distance of Magnus’s apartment and before long, they stepped inside, the music just loud enough to fill the space but not so loud they couldn’t have a conversation.  It seemed packed and Magnus wondered if this was a normal Friday for them or if something special was going on. He certainly hadn’t seen this many people in town. Maybe they cam from all the outlying areas as well.

“I just can’t see you growing up here,” he muttered to Clary as they fought their way through the crowd to get to an empty table.  “You are too... Brooklyn, for this place.”

“I’m ‘Brooklyn’ as you put it because I adapted once I moved there.  This is my home, Magnus. It always will be. I fit in here better than I do in the city, no matter how much I love it there.”  Judging by the number of people who stopped Clary, offered her a hug or a smile, he realized that she probably grew up with everyone in town.  It would be weird to live somewhere where everyone had known you your whole life. For someone like Magnus who moved around a lot when younger, it was a strange concept to consider.

After two drinks, Magnus’s concerns were melting away like snow under a warm spring sun.  As much as he enjoyed teasing Clary about her boyfriend, Jace wasn’t a bad guy. He obviously adored Clary, happy to go along with whatever she wanted.  Briefly entertaining the fact that that particular trait would get Jace in trouble eventually, Magnus smirked into his drink, looking forward to the day that happened.  

He always did love a little chaos.

“Feeling better?” Clary asked, setting their drinks on the table, having gone to get them refills from the bar.  She sat and leaned against Magnus, though whether it was out of platonic affection or because she’d had too much to drink and couldn’t keep her head up, Magnus wasn’t sure.

And as much as he wanted to argue, he couldn’t deny that this was helping.  “Yes, I am. Thank you, Biscuit. I needed a kick in the pants to get out of that bad mood.”

She grinned and nodded, glancing pointedly at Jace then turning her attention back to Magnus.  “And you love me, right? And will remember that this made you feel better?”

“Yes.”  Now he hesitated because something was most definitely up.  “My question is, why are you asking?”

Clary shrugged, a movement made difficult by the way she was sitting against him.  “Well...it’s nothing too bad.” Which meant it was awful and Magnus braced himself.  “It’s just that Alec and his sisters are here at the bar.”

Just like that, Magnus’s good mood vanished and he downed the drink in front of him in one gulp.

He was going to need a lot more than that before the night was up.


	7. Chapter 7

“So, I probably could have told you that,” Jace said, his eyes not coming up from his phone.  “Since he has been texting me for the last five minutes freaking out about me cheating on him.”  

Magnus raised a brow, looking between Clary and Jace in confusion.  “Is there something about your relationship that I don’t know about?  Is your boyfriend also dating the biggest asshole on the planet? Because honestly, Biscuit, I thought you had better taste than that.”  He stared at the empty glass in his hand, wanting another one already but not willing to get anywhere near the bar. If he went near Alec Lightwood, he would punch him in his stupid perfect face.

Not that Magnus would ever say that last part out loud.  

“Alec and Jace were basically raised together.  Best friends, practically brothers. They do everything together. Except when I’m in town.  I love Alec just as much as everyone but I barely get to see Jace as it is so we tend to take the weekend for ourselves and just have a meal or something with all our friends.”  Why she was giving him their life story, Magnus didn’t know. It didn’t help to endear him to Alec anymore.

Jace nodded, picking up where Clary left off in that annoying way couples have.  “So he’s upset that I told him I was spending the evening with Clary and then show up here with you too.  Thinks I personally misled him and forgot that Clary has a mind of her own and plans can change in the blink of an eye with her around.”

“Like you are any better,” she snapped back at him, laughing.  “So is that what he is complaining about?”

“Basically.  I told him Magnus was bi and he had a bit of a fit over that.  Apparently just because you both like men doesn’t mean you are perfect for each other.”  Magnus was about to bite his head off when he noticed Jace laughing. “I was joking. Chill.  I knew it would set him off and drunk Alec is pretty entertaining. Now we just sit back and watch.  Izzy and Maia can deal with the fallout. They’re the ones who brought him after all.” Clary laughed and something in Magnus’s chest unclenched a little.  If Jace was trying to set them up, he was going to be disappointed. There was no universe where Magnus would date that arrogant dickhead.

“What is his deal anyway?” Magnus flagged down a waitress and ordered another round for them all.  If his friends didn’t want the drinks, then he would simply drink them himself. “Is there a story other than the fact that he thinks he is better than everyone else and treats people servants rather than colleagues or friends?  I surely can’t be the only person he acts this way towards.” Though, as soon as he said it, Magnus thought about school. He never saw Alec act the way he did with Magnus towards everyone else. He was aloof, yes, but not openly antagonistic.  

Jace shrugged.  “Alec’s a weird guy.  I love him but he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, even though no one ever asked him to.  He has to be the best at everything he does and takes it hard when he isn’t. You could go challenge him to a dance-off right now and he would throw down the worst dance you have ever seen and then sulk for a week because he didn’t win.”  Magnus raised a brow and Jace laughed at his expression. “All I’m saying is that Alec gets pissy if he doesn’t succeed at something immediately. And it makes him pissier if he sees other people who do.”

That made sense with the version of Alec that lived in Magnus’s head.  A stubborn hot-head who got mad at people for being better than him at something.  Like it was there fault when he didn’t get things right the first time. It made Magnus mad, to know that he’d been subjected to those moods for the entire time they went to school.  “Fucker,” he muttered under his breath, shooting the server a smile when she returned with their drinks. “So he made me suffer all through vet school because he can’t deal with a little competition.  No wonder he moved home and doesn’t want anyone to work closely with him. They might discover that he isn’t as great as he wants people to think.”

“Well, he did beat you,” Clary pointed out unhelpfully, shrinking back from Magnus’s dark glare at her words.  “What? It’s a simple fact.” 

Magnus loved that Clary told him the truth, regardless of if it was what he wanted to hear or not.  He might not like it at the moment but later on, definitely. Right now? He really didn’t want to deal with the truth of that particular matter.  Grumbling, Magnus stared down at his drink. “I need another one of these. I’m not nearly drunk enough to deal with this conversation. And I’ll need to be unconscious before I want to deal with  _ him _ .”  

He grabbed Jace’s drink and downed it in one large gulp. “You realize that wasn’t supposed to be a shot, right?”  Jace looked pointedly at the now empty glass and Magnus shrugged, unapologetic. “Listen, I get it. You don’t like Alec.  Judging by what I’ve heard, he doesn’t like you either. So why don’t we just ignore him tonight and have a good time? You are supposed to be here forgetting about him and not overanalyzing his every move.  There will be plenty of time for that when you are both sniping at each other on Monday in the office.” 

“I’m going to say something I never expected to say,” Magnus replied solemnly.  “You’re right, Blondie. Let’s forget all about him and his stupid face and attitude problem.”  He smiled and rested his cheek on his hand, head heavy now that he’d had what was probably his fifth drink of the night.  

Sixth?  They were all starting to blend together.

Magnus listened as Clary told Jace about her newest projects at work, interjecting comments about her brilliance whenever she paused to take a breath.  Clary’s artistic skills were second to none and Magnus wanted the world to know how talented his best friend really was.

As they sat and talked, however, things started to blur in his mind.  Magnus’s eyes trailed back to Alec again and again. Occasionally they would meet one another’s eyes, causing Magnus to scowl and look away in disgust.  How dare Alec look at him like that? How dare Alec even look in his direction? He wasn’t worthy of Magnus’s attention and he wasn’t going to get it.

But even as he thought that Magnus’s eyes would drift back towards him.  In the beginning, Alec laughed and smiled at his sisters but as the night wore on, he became more sullen and quiet, looking more like the Alec Magnus knew and hated.  He could almost like that smiling guy. He seemed like he might actually be fun and maybe Magnus could understand how he has friends if that was how Alec acted around them.  Laughing made Alec’s hazel eyes light up in a way Magnus never saw at school or at work. It took years off his face and lightened the load he seemed to carry on his shoulders.  

He looked beautiful.

So Magnus was thankful when the sullen, grumpy bastard was back in place by the end of the night.  It was easier to hate a man who looked like he’d bitten into a lemon than one who looked like the sun personified.

Why couldn’t Alec have just stayed home for one night?  Why did he have to be here where Magnus was, trying to forget his problems, the ones caused by Alec himself?  It didn’t seem fair that even as Magnus brooded about Alec’s unfair treatment of him, he had to sit at the bar and watch the man in person.  Magnus didn’t want to look at him and his stupid face all night. It only served as a reminder of just how much he hated the beautiful man. 

The man.  Just a man.  His attractiveness did not take away from the fact that he was a raging asshole.

Magnus growled and, against his better judgment, pulled out his phone to post what he believed to be a scathing criticism of Alec on twitter.  That would show him, he thought smugly to himself.

He didn’t see Clary roll her eyes and open her own phone, seeing exactly what he wrote.  Something he would be highly embarrassed about in the morning.

On the other side of the bar, Alec kept glaring over at his traitor brother, sitting there with Clary and Alec’s arch-enemy.  When Jace suggested that maybe Alec and Magnus could hook up, he almost marched over to punch Jace just out of principle. It was a horrible thought.  As if Alec would ever stoop so low as to go on a date that unprofessional jackass. Judging by Jace’s smirk and Magnus’s furious glare, Jace was messing with them both.  Though what Magnus had to be furious about, Alec didn’t know. He’d be lucky to date Alec. Then maybe he would learn to be a semi-decent veterinarian.

“You’re moping,” Izzy said, elbowing him in the ribs and pulling him from his reverie.  “Either go talk to them or ignore them but this sullen pouting isn’t doing anyone any good.  I made you come out to forget your problems, not glare at them all night.” 

“I came out all on my own, thank you very much,” Alec grumbled under his breath, turning his attention back to the drink in his hand.  “And I didn’t want to be at the bar so if I’m not acting the way you wanted, then that is your fault, not mine.” 

“Oh cut the crap, Lightwood,” Maia said, smacking the back of his head.  “Get your shit together already. Have another drink.” She signaled to the bartender, ordering more drinks for them all.  “You’ll feel better when you are too drunk to think about him.”   
That sounded perfect to Alec and he took the drink without complaint.  It was a Friday night. If he was hungover in the morning, then at least it wouldn’t affect his work.  And if it made it possible not to think about Magnus for a few hours, that was all the better. “Why do you think he is here?  Doesn’t he have better things to do? Like go home and leave us all alone.”

Maia and Izzy both rolled their eyes, something Alec would normally have complained about but was too drunk to find the right words.  They didn’t understand. No one understood. Magnus was almost better than him at the one thing Alec excelled at. If there was someone better than him at the one thing he was good at, then what good was Alec at all?  He didn’t need to be reminded of his almost failure every time he came to work. 

“Alec, think less and drink more.  We will talk about all your hang-ups about him tomorrow.  Tonight is about being with us and relaxing for a change.”  Izzy took the empty glass from his hand and pushed another one towards him.

Alec frowned.  “Should someone in your position be pushing me to drink so much?”

“As the county coroner, I will say that it probably isn’t my best idea.  As your sister and the one who has to deal with the majority of your whining, I think it is a terrific idea.”  Alec tried to glare but he also knew that Izzy would never do anything to actually put him at risk. If there was anyone in his life that Alec trusted implicitly, it was Isabelle.  

Still, it didn’t keep the frown off his face.  “When I die, you better put yourself down as my cause of death.”

“I’ll even put a little smiley next to it,” she said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and kissing his cheek.  He couldn’t help but laugh and relaxed a little. How Izzy could calm him so quickly was a mystery for the ages. 

She turned to her wife, Izzy and Maia chatting happily, enjoying their night off together, even if they had their brother there with them.  He turned his attention to the rest of the bar, trying to give them some privacy. As hard as he tried, Alec couldn’t keep his eyes off the table where Clary, Jace, and Magnus were gathered.  They were all laughing about something and Alec realized that if he ignored Magnus’s bad attitude, he was actually gorgeous. Maybe if they’d met under different circumstances, there could have been something there. 

But no, because regardless of the situation, Magnus would still have that same personality and that was the real issue.  No beautiful face could make up for being an asshole. Which was a damn shame.

Alec sighed and reached for the drink Izzy ordered for him.  He drank it down, his mind slipping back to Magnus. Their problems all stemmed from Magnus and if he could just be more pleasant to be around, then things might be okay between them.  Despite knowing it was a bad idea to be on social media while drunk, he ranted about his situation on Twitter. 

Feeling smug, Alec put his phone back in his pocket and didn’t see his sister take a screenshot of his tweet.  Izzy might love her brother, but she wasn't above a bit of blackmail when necessary.


	8. Chapter 8

When Magnus opened his eyes, the light hit him like a hammer to the head and he groaned, covering his face with his pillow.  He knew he overdid it the night before. It wasn’t like him to drink so much that he didn’t remember parts of his night but as he lay there in his own bed, Magnus realized he had no idea how he got home.  He remembered seeing Alec there, getting really upset, and ordering more drinks. After that, it was a bit of a blur and that was worrisome. 

What might he have done that he can’t remember now?  He’d have to ask Clary about it later. Hopefully, she would tell him the truth and not just lecture him for drinking too much when he should know better. 

Groping around in his blankets for his phone blindly, Magnus peeked out from under the pillow to see his notifications.  There were several from twitter but he would deal with that later. Afraid that his friends might try to come and make him do something other than lay in bed and feel sorry for himself, he snapped a quick picture and posted it for everyone to see.  That would keep them off his back, at least for the morning. Tossing his phone back on the bed, Magnus closed his eyes and wished for the sweet release of death as he fell back asleep. Anything would feel better than this hangover.

At his own place, Alec wasn’t as lucky.  A loud pounding on the door woke him, echoing the pounding  he heard in his own head.  “Alec, get your ass out of bed,” Jace called through the door and while Alec knew he could try to ignore it, his brother had a key and would be getting in whether Alec wanted him there or not.  Sliding from the bed, he wrapped a blanket around himself and stumbled to the door, glaring at his inconsiderate sibling who simply grinned back in the face of Alec’s ire. “Rough morning?” 

It was all Alec could do not to slam the door in his face.

“Jace, you better have a damn good reason to be here this early.”  To be fair, Alec didn’t know how early it was. But his head throbbed and while Alec knew it was the hangover making him grouchy as hell, it didn’t make him any more sympathetic to Jace’s presence.  “Go away and come back when I’ve had some sleep or am dead. Maybe both.”

He tried to slam the door in Jace’s face but his irritating brother just caught it and pushed it back open.  “Nope. It’s Saturday and I don’t care if you are so hungover you can’t stand, we’re going running. You’ll be fine, I’m sure.”  Alec blinked in the face of this news. He was not going running. Getting to his front door had been more than enough exertion for the day.  

“I’m going back to bed and you are going home or to hell.  Your choice.” Sure, they went running every Saturday, the only day they both had off, but today it simply wasn’t happening.  Alec wouldn’t make it even a mile in his condition. 

Jace, however, never learned to take no for an answer when it came to his siblings and pushed his way into Alec’s home.  “Get dressed. You owe me a run and then breakfast.”

Not feeling charitable, Alec glared at him.  “Why don’t you go see if your new best friend wants to go?  Surely you’d have more fun with him.” There was no heat to his words but Alec continued to glare, hoping Jace would take the hint and leave him alone.

“He’s Clary’s best friend but if you could get over yourself and be nice to him, then we could all hang out together without the two of you glaring daggers and tweeting coherence at each other.”  

Alec frowned.  What was Jace talking about?  Tweeting at each other? Alec would never do that.  He stumbled back to his bed and grabbed his phone from the side table.  Opening the app, he frowned when he saw the gibberish he’d posted while drunk the night before.  While it was clearly not coherent thoughts, Alec understood what he’d posted well enough and blushed when he realized it was on the web for all to see. 

Deleting it quickly, Alec closed his phone and hoped Jace didn’t see what he did.  “No point in deleting it. Clary already has a screenshot. I’m willing to bet Izzy and Maia do as well.  You can’t escape them that easily. Particularly when you were drunk enough to finally let people know how you actually feel.”

“How I actually feel?  He’s still a stuck-up asshole who doesn’t belong here.  Nothing is going to change that, no matter what I might think about how he looks.”  Alec wanted to go back to bed and forget about everything. Why did he have so many siblings who were all too invested in his private life?  And why did they all have to like Magnus, of all people? Couldn’t they have found someone else to obsess over for him?

Alec tried to climb back into bed but Jace grabbed the blanket and pulled it off him.  “Nope, you’re still going running. If you don’t go running with me, how will I get my breakfast?” 

“Buy it yourself?  Learn to cook? Beg Clary to make you something?  There are lots of ways for you to eat breakfast that do not involve me running with a hangover.”  Alec knew he wouldn’t win this battle. If there was one thing Jace would fight to the death over, it was free food.  But it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try his best. “Jace, leave me alone and let me suffer in peace.”

Jace laughed and shook his head, stealing the pillow from under Alec in the process.  “Not going to happen. Because if I leave you here, you will sit and fume, feel sorry for yourself, or mope until you have to go to work on Monday.  And that isn’t conducive to anyone’s happiness, particularly yours. So get your ass out of bed and put your shoes on. You can manage five miles and then eat a big, greasy breakfast.”

The thought of running turned Alec’s stomach but he knew he needed to eat and it probably wouldn’t be a terrible idea to try and sweat off some of his hangover.  “Fine,” Alec grumbled, getting up once more and trying to ignore the pounding in his head. “But if I die, you are carrying me back to town and explaining to mom how you killed me.”

Jace practically beamed at him and Alec fought off the temptation to punch him in the face. “I’m sure she will understand.  She raised you, after all.”

He laced up his shoes without another word and sooner than he would have liked, he was ready to go.  Or as ready as he was going to be. Most likely he would die before they finished the run but then he wouldn’t have to buy Jace breakfast and he’d have Alec’s death on his conscious.  A small bright side but one Alec would cling to for the whole jog.

“To your farm and back?” Alec asked.  It was the route they usually took when they wanted a short run.  About three miles from Alec’s place was the farm where Jace grew up.  He didn’t live there anymore, renting it out to someone who was better equipped for farm life, but they still ran there and back often.  The renters didn’t seem to mind, at least. 

Jace nodded, jutting his chin in the direction of the farm.  They took off at a leisurely pace, though every step jostled Alec’s alcohol-soaked brain and he wondered if he would even make it out of town before he collapsed.  “Keep up, Lightwood,” Jace called from several steps in front of Alec, looking back over his shoulder with a grin.

“Watch where you are going, jackass.  If you run into a wall and break your nose again, I’m not setting it for you.”  It had only happened once and it wasn’t entirely Jace’s fault. They knew they shouldn’t have been out running after the snow storm but they were young and stupid and thought they could do it.  Jace hit a patch of ice and instead of falling, he skidded forward until he went face first into the side of a building. Alec put his nose back in place, a skill learned from his time playing the various sports he loved growing up.

And while it hadn’t been funny at the time, now just the thought of it never failed to make Alec smile.  And gave him ammunition when Jace was being an absolute dick. 

Such as when he made Alec go running with the worst hangover anyone ever experienced.

“There is nothing in front of me.”  Jace turned around, just to barely miss a light pole in front of him.  

Alec laughed, which only made his head hurt more.  “Don’t be a dumbass today. It hurts to laugh at you.”

“I’m pretty sure it would have hurt me more.”  A smile still colored Jace’s features and Alec was surprised to feel himself smiling as well.  Maybe the run wasn’t as terrible an idea as he’d thought. 

He would never tell Jace that though.  No sense in giving the man any more ammunition against him.  

Making their way down the dirt road that led to the farm where they would turn around, Alec took out his phone to snap a picture.  He might as well make his misery common knowledge so others would feel sorry for him rather than take Jace’s side. Even if he had been asking for this with his performance at the bar the night before.

By the time they got back to town, Alec was feeling better, much to his surprise.  He also had one reply to his picture and groaned when he saw it was Jace. “How the hell did you have time to reply when you were running?” he demanded as they came to a stop in front of the one cafe in town, where they always had breakfast after runs.  

“Same way you managed to post something while we were running.  It isn’t  _ that _ hard.”  Jace held the door for him and motioned him inside.  Alec rolled his eyes and sighed heavily but went in, the smell of bacon and pancakes making his mouth water. 

As Jace and Alec sat down to eat, Magnus pulled himself out of bed and looked at his phone, seeing a ton of notifications just from that morning.  Of course, his friends would weight in on his picture and why he thought they would be supportive, he didn’t know. They were wonderful people who he loved with his whole heart but they were also absolute assholes who lived to make fun of him.  

Raphael, predictably, was the least supportive, telling him that it was all his fault.  Magnus still felt certain that all the blame lay with Alec Lightwood but he didn’t know how to get that across to his friends who seemed determined to make him even more miserable than he felt.  He dialed his friend’s number without a second thought, determined to get Raphael to understand. The moment Raphael answered the phone, Magnus blurted out, “It wasn’t my fault and you know it! Under normal circumstances, I would never have been hungover this morning.  This is Lightwood’s fault, not mine.”

“Lightwood forced you to drink?”  

Magnus frowned, glad Raphael couldn’t actually see him.  “Well, no. He wasn’t pouring the alcohol don’t my throat if that’s what you mean.  But if he hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have gotten so drunk.”

“So it was his fault you couldn’t stop drinking because he was in the same room with you?  I can’t imagine how that works at your job. Don’t you two share an office? Dios, Magnus. Just own up to it and move on.  Or better yet, get over the issues you have with this man. There is no way he is half as bad as you say he is.”

“You don’t know him,” Magnus grumbled, sounding more and more like a petulant teenager rather than a mature and reasonable adult.  Raphael didn’t answer, just laughed humorlessly and hung up the phone. With a glare at his phone, Magnus tossed it down on the bed, saying, “I need better friends.”

The rest of his day continued in much the same way.  Simon and Clary both weighing in on how Magnus was an idiot who needed to get over his anger towards Alec.  It wasn’t his fault they couldn’t understand why he was so upset. Maybe someday they would see Alec the way Magnus did because he knew without a doubt that he would never change his opinion.  He had years of antagonism from Alec to back up his beliefs. 

The only thing that gave him pause was a text from Clary with a screenshot of Alec’s twitter.  It seemed to be complimenting him and Magnus stared at it for a long time, wondering how that happened.  They didn’t compliment each other on anything. Most likely it was the alcohol, but if it was something Magnus could exploit later on, well, that was something he was going to hold close.  

Just in case.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So before anyone says anything, yes, I've changed small details in the story. So some of the images don't exactly line up. But the general tone and plot remain the same so I'm going with it.

When Monday morning rolled around, Magnus’s hangover was long gone, thankfully.   While he wasn’t scheduled to make any house calls, Magnus wanted to be safe. He wouldn’t let any pigs catch him off guard this time.   Or dogs, cats, birds, or anything else. Magnus was a damn good vet and he would prove it.

Dressed for a day at the office, but with work boots in hand in case he got sent out to a farm.  Magnus already lost of one his favorite outfits. He would be damned if he lost another one. He walked in and gave the receptionist a warm smile before dropping his things in his office.  Alec’s jacket hung on the hook behind the door so the man had to be there somewhere but Magnus considered himself lucky that he had a brief moment of quiet before facing his nemesis.

Luke stuck his head in the office and grinned at him.  “Hey, Magnus. We have a few dogs and a cat scheduled for this morning.  Do you think you can handle those? Alec and I are heading out to a couple of farms and Maryse has a conference call.”

“Sure, no problem, Luke.”  It would be a nice, relaxing morning in Magnus’s opinion.  A break for the chaos of farm work. And it would give him a chance to meet more of the people of Alicante.  Magnus needed to get to know people that weren’t his coworkers, or Biscuit and Blondie. “Are the files up at the desk?”

“Yep.  These are all basic checkups, though, so it shouldn’t be too taxing.  Thank you so much.” With that, he was gone, slipping out of the room as quickly as he arrived and Magnus smiled to himself, setting down the last of his things before heading up to the front to grab the files.  

Outside, he could see Alec already sitting in the truck and he remembered that Maryse and Luke were Alec’s parents (well, mother and step-father).  They probably already heard about what happened over the weekend and were keeping the two of them apart. Smart, the both of them.

The first couple of patients - a golden retriever with the worlds happiest personality and a sullen grey cat who seemed more intent on grooming himself than being checked out - came and went without any issue.  Magnus gave his card to both of their owners, telling them to feel free to call if they needed anything.

The third one, however, was more difficult.  The dog, an adorable Boston Terrier named Nixie, and her owner Andrew were both pleasant.  Magnus took an immediate liking to them and began to run through his normal checkup. But when he tried to move her legs to check mobility, he encountered more resistance than he should and frowned.  “Has she been having trouble moving lately?”

Underhill nodded.  “I thought she was just getting older.  I’ve been having to pick her up and put her on the bed or the couch, and then put her back down again.  Is this something I actually have to worry about?”

“Maybe, but I don’t think so.  Do you mind if I try something?  My patients in the City seemed to like it and reported good results.”  This was why they hired him right? To bring in new ideas? And to pick up the slack but Magnus thought this might be even more important.

The man nodded and Magnus had Nixie lay on the counter.  Slowly, he began to massage her joints, noting the places where she tensed or flinched.  After he was done, he went back to those places and worked through them again until Nixie stopped flinching.  “Alright,” he said when he was done, letting Nixie jump back up to her feet. “She might be a little sore tonight, we worked out a lot of knots, but I think you will see an improvement over the next day or so.  If you have any questions or concerns, give the office a call.” Magnus walked them both out, offering his hand to Underhill when they reached the lobby.

“Thank you, Dr. Bane.”  Andrew shook his hand and made his way outside.  Magnus turned back to his office, ready to type up his notes from the first patients and get some lunch before the next group patients began to appear.  

The day went smoothly, with Maryse returning after lunch and the two of them taking care of all the scheduled and walk-in clients for the day.  Luke and Alec were gone the whole day and only just pulling up as Magnus let himself out. Maryse said she’d stay behind and lock up, so Magnus was thankful to get out of there before he needed to deal with Alec.  

He thought about the day when he got home, about all the patients he’d seen and how much fun his job really was.  This was what he’d been missing working on his own in New York City; a chance to see a variety of animals from all walks of life and to help them with real issues.  He had no dought that Nixie would be feeling a hundred times better in the morning then she had felt when Underhill brought her in.

“So, was today better?” Clary asked when he called her that night.  After the weekend, Magnus decided to stay in that week. One drunken night was enough for his first month in Alicante.  He didn't want his new neighbors to have the wrong impression of him. Though, it seemed like everyone from town that was their age had been in the bar that night anyway.  It seemed like the only thing to do in such a small town on the weekend.

"It was much better.  Mostly because I didn't see Alec all day.  He was out with Luke and I was in the office all day."  Sipping his wine, Magnus relaxed, content in the knowledge that he'd done well that day and no matter how much Alec might dislike him, he'd given Luke and Maryse no reason to think about firing him.  That alone would piss Alec off and it only made Magnus smile more.

Clary huffed on the other end but he felt certain she was trying not to laugh.  "I think you would actually like to see him, if this weekend is anything to go by."

"I was drunk."  Not the most solid defense for anything but the only one Magnus had.  "And I can admit that he is aesthetically pleasing and if that body was attached to pretty much any personality, I would be the first one trying to climb him.  As it is, Alec Lightwood is still a pompous jerk who has his head too far up his ass to see that there are more people in the world than just him."

“Would it help if I told you that he found you attractive as well?”  

That brought Magnus up short.  He couldn’t imagine a world where Alec liked him, any part of him.  The man had been a complete and utter asshole since practically the moment they met.  “Yeah, sure,” he muttered because he couldn't believe that. It would throw his whole world view into disarray.  

Clary laughed in his ear.  “Trust me on this one. You weren’t the only one posting incriminating things on twitter the other night. We have screenshots to prove it.”  

Hope began to bloom in Magnus’s chest and he smiled despite himself.  “Could you send them to me? He’s been such a dick, I’m not sure I could believe that without seeing it for myself.”

After getting Clary to agree to text the screenshot that night, they hung up and Magnus went about his evening, waiting for the message to come in.  And when it did, it was everything he could have possibly hoped it would be. He replied almost immediately, an idea slowly taking hold.

Clary was worried and he couldn’t blame her.  For some reason she liked the obnoxious other man and she knew Magnus would destroy him if given the chance.

And Clary had just given him the perfect ammunition.

He considered it through the night; the thought that in an inebriated (and in his case, freer) state, Alec Lightwood found him attractive.  

Magnus wasn’t blind.  He could see that Alec was a good looking man as well, the literal definition of tall, dark, and handsome.  If it wasn’t for his poor excuse for a personality, Magnus would have made a move on him long ago. But every time Alec opened his mouth, Magnus was reminded that looks most certainly weren’t everything.  Particularly in Lightwood’s case.

Knowing that Alec thought he was good looking, however, was something Magnus thought he could use for his own gain.  He hadn’t thought too far ahead about _how_ just yet, but he would keep an open mind and wait for the right opportunity.

He texted Clary back, thanking her for the information and promising that he would put it to good use.  All he could do was laugh at her warning to him. As if he would do anything untoward with that information.  

But given the right opportunity...

What Magnus didn’t expect was for the right opportunity to fall into his lap the next day.  Before even getting to work, his phone buzzed with a message on the clinic chat group. From what he could tell, Underhill called in and told Maryse or Luke (or both) how much better Nixie was doing after the massage and asked if it would be an option going forward.  

The Lightway clinic was not large or inherently progressive in its treatments so Maryse and Luke wanted Magnus to teach them all about massage that afternoon so they would all be able to help their clients better when the necessity arose.

Magnus, touched that they would ask, readily agreed.  And if Alec throwing a tantrum about it made the whole thing a little sweeter than no one needed to know that but Magnus.

With that in mind, he dressed to kill, borderline unprofessional, with more dramatic makeup than normal and a few extra rings. (He’d learned long ago that long necklaces and veterinary care didn’t mix.  Too many dogs chewing on them and cats batting at them to make Magnus comfortable wearing any of his necklaces to the office.)

By the time the morning was over, Magnus could hardly wait until it was time for the lesson.  They closed the practice for the afternoon so they could focus on that without worrying about someone having to rush off to meet a patient.  Maryse had lunch delivered and insisted Alec’s own dog Archer be the one they practiced on.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Alec exclaimed when Maryse explained it to him.  I already think it is ridiculous that I have to sit through this all afternoon when I could be doing something that would actually help our patients.  I will not subject my own dog to this indignity as well.”

Maryse and Luke were both rolling their eyes and Magnus figured they were well used to the other man’s outbursts.  He probably had them often, if what Magnus had seen of him was anything to go by.

Instead of rising to the challenge and yelling back at Alec as he would normally do, Magnus smiled serenely at him while Alec railed against everything, waiting for a moment where he could get a word in.  “If you would prefer, I could run home and get one of my cats. The Chairman is well accustomed to my massage techniques. Both him and Church get massages twice a week. You would have to lock up Archer, though, because the Chairman is skittish around new dogs.”

“I am not locking up my dog!”

“Excellent.  I am sure Archer will very much enjoy what I’m going to be showing you.”

Alec’s muttered, “Doubt that,” made Magnus chuckle despite himself.  By the end of this, he knew Alec’s dog would love it and Alec would be stuck having to do a procedure he hated.  It was a win-win. Mostly because Magnus firmly believed that massage was good for all cats and dogs, not just older ones or ones with mobility problems.  

Step by step, Magnus went through his normal procedure, explaining specific motions for animals that had issues with their hips, or their back, or any other part.  Maryse and Luke listened attentively and Archer was lapping up the attention. Alec scowled and tried to look disinterested but even he could see the effect it was having on his dog and had to admit that it would probably be useful.  He watched Alec furiously typing on his phone and Magnus would have to find someone who could tell him what he was writing. Whatever it was, it would be sure to make him laugh, he knew.

Magnus grinned and nodded at him.  “Want to give it a try?” Alec shook his head, being obstinate for the sake of being obstinate, and Magnus had to sigh.  “You know, besides having a perfect face and a brilliant mind, I’ve been told I’m very talented with my hands. Your dog seems to be enjoying it.”  He winked, knowing it would throw Alec off.

If the stuttering and blustering was anything to go by, he’d succeeded.  


	10. Chapter 10

Alec was fuming by the time he got home.  The nerve of Magnus to come in and try to make their practice into something that would have been more at home on Fifth Avenue than Main Street of Alicante.  They worked with farm animals and working pets, not the pampered puppies of New York’s elite. They didn’t need  _ massages _ .  

The worst part was that his mom and Luke were both eating it up.  Didn’t they see that their clients were going to laugh at them if they ever suggested such a thing?  The fact that Magnus decided to try it with Underhill of all people was the only saving grace. Underhill had moved here from Chicago a few years ago and was probably more open to strange experiences like dog massages. 

Just the thought of it made Alec pissy.  

He’d texted his frustrations to Jace before leaving work so he wasn’t surprised to see messages from him.  But he read them with growing horror. How could Jace even suggest such a thing? Alec did  _ not  _ like Magnus and the mere thought of kissing him made Alec’s stomach turn.  Throwing himself on the couch, Alec typed furiously, trying to get his point across as best as he could.  He wouldn’t even entertain Jace’s idea.

Alec frowned at the messages, as he started to think about it a little more. At this point, he wasn’t even sure what the rivalry was about.  Back in school, things had been clearer. Alec had no intention of being anything but the best and Magnus stood in the way of that. The rivalry had been built from that and Alec would never feel any shame about the fact that he came in first in their class.  

But now?  What was the rivalry about now?  He wasn’t entirely sure. At least not on Magnus’s end.  Alec resented him trying to change things after only being there for a few days.  He resented the way Jace seemed to love the guy, and his parents loved him, and even his sister and her wife were interested in getting to know him better. Because apparently, he was “interesting”.  Which was a weird way to say “asshole” if you asked Alec.

His phone rang and Alec answered it, knowing exactly who was calling.  “Alec,” Jace said without preface. “You really need to get over this. You saw the texts I sent you.  The guy likes you.” 

Alec rolled his eyes heavenward, a silent plea for some help with his annoying brother.  “You said it yourself, he was drunk and I was drunk and none of us should be held responsible for things we say when we are drunk.  Besides, what he wrote is practically unintelligible. You’re just reading what you want to believe.” He had to believe that because anything else was going to throw off his entire view of the world and Alec had enough world-changing events in the last week to last a lifetime. 

“Your tweets weren’t any better and we all understood what you meant.  You’re being purposefully dense, Alec, and you know. At least consider the fact that I might be right.”  He didn’t let Alec argue, because Jace knew him well enough to sense what was coming, Alec was sure. “I’m going out with Clary today.  You behave yourself and consider what I said.” Jace hung up, leaving Alec staring at the phone in disbelief.

There was no way Jace was right.  Alec and Magnus had hated each other since early veterinary school and that wasn’t going to change just because they both got drunk one night in the same place and tweeted about each other.  No, Jace couldn’t be right. Anything else wouldn’t make sense. 

But, at the same time, Alec knew his judgment wasn’t always the best, particularly when it came to things involving himself.  So, he needed the opinion of someone else who knew him as well as Jace did but wasn’t also attached at the hip to Magnus’s best friend.  

However, a quick text to Izzy and Maia didn’t ease his mind at all.  They agreed with Jace of all people and Alec couldn’t live in a world where Jace was correct.  At least not about this. 

He glared at his phone while his sisters called him an idiot.  Maybe not in those words but the point was clear. Tossing his phone down, Alec ran his hand through his hair.  Jace, Izzy, Maia, and Clary all said there was something there. But Alec couldn’t see it. He loved them and they all knew him well but this was one time where they were wrong.  

With his mind made up, Alec set about getting ready for work.  He didn’t need to worry about this because Magnus was just a jerk who didn’t belong in Alicante.  The sooner he realized that, the better for everyone. 

Relieved that he would have another day on the farms while Magnus worked in the office, Alec grabbed the keys to his truck and urged Archer out the door.  Before he could get the truck started, though, he got a message from his mother. 

Alec couldn’t believe it.  The world was out to get him.  That was the only thing that explained it.  How else could he end up with the man all day after dealing with all his siblings trying to convince him that there was some latent sexual tension or something between them?  (He was already blurring the conversation out in his mind. It was too much to deal with.)

At least it looked like Magnus was as unimpressed with the plan as he was.  Obviously, their idea that Magnus was interested in him was completely outlandish.  They hated each other. They’d always hated each other and always would. Hopefully, they could get through the day today and then not have to work together again for a while.  That was the least his mom and Luke could do for them. It wasn’t right and Alec intended to tell them all about it when he got back that evening, even if he had to go over to their house to do this.  They could keep Magnus on in the clinic if they wanted to but Alec wouldn’t work with him again. 

Alec grumbled to himself all the way to the office.  He kept trying to come up with reasons why they couldn’t work together but nothing would have been convincing enough.  He’d suffer through the day and then sort it all out afterward. It was a plan. 

Alec liked having a plan. 

The ride out to the farm was almost silent, the only sound being Magnus’s fingers tapping against the screen of his phone as they typed away at some friend of another.  Or at least, that was what Alec assumed. He wasn’t going to ask. He didn’t care. Magnus could have whatever friends he wanted as long as they weren’t Alec’s friends. 

On the other side of the truck, Magnus kept taking surreptitious photos, as proof of where he’d been if something happened and he didn’t return to Alicante.  Each picture was sent off to Clary or uploaded to Instagram as insurance. Just to be safe. He didn’t think Alec would kill him but he also didn’t think Alec was above such a thing.  

Misery came off both of them in waves and Magnus leaned against the door to avoid being anywhere near Alec.  Being near Alec in any fashion was torture, but being trapped in a truck with him was a special brand of pain that had Magnus questioning what he did wrong in a previous life to deserve this.

The dirt road ended at a small farm that looked like so many others Magnus saw in the area surrounding Alicante.  How everyone kept track of which one was which baffled him but he figured he would learn eventually if he stayed here for any period of time.  A good looking blonde woman met them, giving Alec a hug and talking a mile a minute. They were obviously friends and Magnus took his time getting his things out of the truck to give them a moment to catch up.  

He stalled long enough that the next time he looked up, Alec and the farmer were already walking away and Magnus had to hurry in order to catch up, cursing Alec under his breath the entire time.  The woman couldn’t know about Alec’s antagonism towards him but Alec was sure going out of his way to make sure Magnus was excluded. 

When he fell in step with them, making their way down past pens holding pigs, horses, and goats, he interrupted whatever it was they were talking about.  “I’m Magnus Bane. I’ve just recently joined the practice so I expect we will be seeing a lot more of each other.”

“Magnus Bane?  I’ve heard so much about you.  It’s lovely to finally meet you.  I’m Lydia Branwell.” She shot Alec a glance that was the exact opposite of subtle and Magnus had to stifle a laugh when Alec flushed and started grumbling at her.  Right then and there, Magnus knew he liked her a lot. She was the right kind of feisty and the exact type of person this boring town needed. 

He also wondered what she might have heard about him and from who but that was a problem for another day, he supposed.  As long as she continued to annoy Alec today, that was all that mattered. 

Alec seemed to know why they were there and was intent on keeping Magnus out fo the loop, so Magnus wandered around, taking in the different animals.  While he’d never worked with goats and sheep and pigs before, he appreciated them and the learning experience. If he had anyone else as a teacher, the last week or so would have been heaven, learning about new animals, meeting new people.  It was everything Magnus loved and Alec was tainting it with his terrible attitude. A couple of sheep followed him as he walked past their pen, bleating at him in what he expected was a demand for food. “I don’t have anything for you,” he told them, which only earned him angrier bleats.  

The sheep finally realized he didn’t actually have anything for them and wandered off.  Alec and Lydia were standing by the fence around the horse pasture, chatting and paying him no attention, so Magnus continued his meandering around the farm.  Which, he realized in hindsight, was his first mistake. 

At the time, however, the only sign he had that he might have made a mistake was a soft clucking coming from somewhere behind him.  Of all the typical animals one found on a farm, at least in Alicante, Magnus had the least amount of experience with chickens. He knew they were birds, they were delicious, but he didn’t know much about caring for one.  But they were small and relatively harmless, right?

He turned around to see a rooster walking towards him.  “Hello, there,” he cooed, bending forward to look at the animal approaching.  He was bigger than Magnus expected and seemed intent on walking directly at Magnus.  ( _ Playing chicken,  _ Magnus thought with an amused grin.)  Next time he came out here, Magnus intended on bringing some food to throw the animals if Lydia would let him.  He’d like to make friends with them. 

“Um, Magnus?” Lydia called from her place over by the fence.  “You might want to get away from him. Diablo doesn’t really like people.”

Alec was frantically shushing her and Magnus shot him a glare before turning his attention back to the chicken.  “Diablo, huh? You don’t look so bad. I bet you’re not nearly as bad as your name suggests.” Magnus had judged animals wrong before so he might be mistaken but how much damage could a chicken do?

Diablo clucked at him and Magnus took a step back as the rooster lunged for his outstretched fingers.  “Hey, that’s not very nice.” Diablo took another lunge and Magnus had to leap back to avoid flapping wings and a piercing beak.  

“Magnus, get over here,  _ right now _ .”  Lydia’s voice held more urgency and Magnus found himself wishing he’d listened the first time.  

He turned to look at her, which proved to be his fatal mistake.  Diablo took the lapse in his attention as an invitation and went for Magnus’s leg, biting hard enough that he could feel it through the thick material of his pants.  

“Hell!  That hurts!” he cried, trying to get away but the chicken was in hot pursuit.  Magnus wasn’t ashamed to admit he screamed, running for his life from possessed mini-monster from the Mesozoic Era.

He didn’t notice Alec recording the whole thing (though he could hear the laughing) and later he was too busy bandaging up his many cuts and scrapes to see him upload it to YouTube. 

But that night, after he got home.  He found it. 

And Magnus was pissed.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr at [brooklynxmagic](http://brooklynxmagic.tumblr.com) or [astudyinfic](http://astudyinfic.tumblr.com). Or twitter at [astudyinfic](http://twitter.com/astudyinfic).


End file.
